Sean Beattie set to become Capitals centurion

ROSS DEWAR

EDINBURGH CAPITALS forward Sean Beattie is set to play his 100th game for the club when they tackle Nottingham Panthers away tonight.

Caps begin a run of three games in four nights, all away from Murrayfield where they have been so strong of late – winning their last five.

Beattie, 20, said: “One hundred games is quite a milestone in my career and I’m looking forward to tonight. Things are going great at the moment. We’ve pulled out a couple of good wins for ourselves recently, and this year we have a great group of boys – they’re all so easy to get along with.”

The purple patch on home ice – alongside a recent win in Sheffield and a valuable point picked up at Manchester Storm – has been good enough to propel Capitals to fourth place, albeit level with three other teams in what is sure to be a tight Elite League table.

Beattie who, as part of the Edinburgh Capitals Academy programme also plays with the club’s Scottish National League side, continued: “Our win on Saturday against (league leaders) Cardiff was especially pleasing. I think they’d only lost twice all season so to be the underdog and beat them the way we did was great.

“The SNL guys are also doing really well. We’ve won all five of our games so far this season. I still really enjoy my time with them. It’s all ice-time at the end of the day. Stepping up from the SNL level is really difficult, but I reckon I’ve learned so much, especially over the last two years as my ice-time has increased.”

Asked to pick out a highlight from his first 99 games, Beatie insisted Saturday’s 6-2 win over Devils wasn’t on his list.

The match saw Beattie involved in his first Elite League fight as he clashed with Cardiff import Zach Hervato.

“Yeah, that was my first fight,” said Beattie. “I think it was just a spur of the moment thing, I certainly wasn’t looking for it but when it happens you’ve got to be ready. A highlight would have to be my first season and scoring my first goal for the club. We were playing in the Spring Classic at the Fife Ice Arena and I scored against Dundee.”

Caps play Coventry Blaze tomorrow before rounding off their week on Saturday with a trip to Manchester Storm.